Conservative editors/radio people starting to speak up against commuter rail (Atlanta: insurance, crime)

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by netdragon

I don't get the density argument. Look at Fairfield County, CT. Not much more dense than much of metro Atlanta, and there's commuter rail. People drive a few miles to the station, park, and ride.

Bad analogy. Fairfield County is a bedroom community area with little business of its own. The only place to commute is to NYC, and driving into NYC is a much more congested drive than driving into Atlanta. The NY and New Haven RR was also in existence for many years and the current Metro North line is just a modern day version of what's been there for decades, running on the same right of way.

Atlanta is much more spread out, with large commercial centers in places like Alpharetta, Norcross, etc. and a large percentage of the population working there and commuting from other places OTP. Rail that only goes downtown only serves one segment of the workforce. It's also VERY expensive to build where it never existed before.

I'm not saying I'm against new rail in Atlanta, but to compare it with Fairfield, CT is apples and oranges.

[KevK]

Originally Posted by atlantagreg30127

Well, on July 15th, Gwinnett residents (who bother to get out to vote), will have the opportunity to vote for a MARTA expansion into Gwinnett via a 1-cent sales tax, if they want it (or not).

Today's newscast had a reporter going around the Norcross area interviewing random people about it, and according to claims, just about every single person had the, "Why isn't it out here already? Of course I want it", attitude (they obviously hadn't lived in the region a long time). Here is a condensed version of it: Gwinnett Residents Consider MARTA Rail Line Expansion - News Story - WSB Atlanta . Commuter rail wasn't brought up - just MARTA which initially would place 3 rail stations into Gwinnett with of course the option to expand further out as money/demand rose over time. I'm not sure MARTA rail would ever go as far as the Mall of Georgia however - that might be when commuter rail kicks in.

On the flip-side, voter registration people who were interviewed said that a record LOW number of people were expected to turn out on July 15th for local voting issues. So, if people in Gwinnett do want MARTA, they'd better make a point of getting off their rears and voting that day, because history shows that people who are against something are typically more motivated to vote than people who support something. It's a nonbinding vote (meaning not real, but a test to see support) but if they see an overwhelming support, they'll get on the fast track to get it on a real vote. Dumb way to do it, but better than nothing.

It is badly needed. The Gwinett buses are packed to capacity and they cannot add anymore right now.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by Georgia

Really,
Granted it has been awhile, but my history of rides come from working the night hours. Trick or Treat

Oh yes, please do me a favor and try to add some a little thought to your little smartarse comments. Maybe my old co-worker can send you a photo of his disfigured face. Yes, slashed from his right eye down to his neck behind the ear. Just for minding his business and reading the Post. All for a wallet with 8 bucks in it. Yeah, it's BS. BS that the taxpayer who obey's the law and mind's their own business get to grow eyes in the back of their heads while the local government chooses to coddle criminals on the rail and the street.

It was like I stated in my writing. I support transit as long as it is completed with common sense. It's called a Transit Authority and a local or state entity which promotes safety, which both Atlanta and DC have a history of not doing. All you have to do is look at the stat's. But in your mind, I'm sure that is BS too.

Thanks and I will now end my B.S

Your original post made the DC Metro seems totally unsafe. I am sorry about what happened to your friend, and I have run into a few crazies on the DC Metro, but for the most part its pretty safe. Additionally, if there is one place that does NOT coddle criminals its DC. There are over 20 law enforcement agencies in the district, whereas the City of Atlanta has less them 2,000 police on one force. You can't even compare the two.

[JPD]

Originally Posted by Georgia

Really,


Oh yes, please do me a favor and try to add some a little thought to your little smartarse comments. Maybe my old co-worker can send you a photo of his disfigured face. Yes, slashed from his right eye down to his neck behind the ear. Just for minding his business and reading the Post. All for a wallet with 8 bucks in it. Yeah, it's BS.

I stand by my comment. Your friend could have just as easily been slashed on a park bench or at a mall or in the parking lot of a grocery store. Does that mean we should all have mace in hand and ready to squirt at all times?

[chip1980]

Originally Posted by KevK

The DC Metro is very safe. I have rode it everytime I go there. It is one of the few places that the tranit is so convenient you do not need a car to visit any of the sites you wish to see there. I have taken my kids on it all over DC and never felt unsafe.

Metro robberies rose in 2007 - Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/a-1206755~Metro_robberies_rose_in_2007.html - broken link)

[DC's Finest]

DC has probably one of the safest Metros in the world. Of course there are issues, especially when 800,000 people are on it everyday but for the most part it is very safe. People in the ATL that rally against transit need to realize that PT is an alternative to driving. NY, DC, Chicago and Boston have traffic issues but can you imagine what these places would be like without transit? With the money we have spent in the debacle called Iraq, we could have built a heavy rail system in every major city in America.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by chip1980

Metro robberies rose in 2007 - Examiner.com (http://www.examiner.com/a-1206755~Metro_robberies_rose_in_2007.html - broken link)

Here is how the transit police were proactive in addressing this issue:

Transit Police Try to Crack Down on Robbers - washingtonpost.com

[chip1980]

Originally Posted by Merin

Here is how the transit police were proactive in addressing this issue:

Transit Police Try to Crack Down on Robbers - washingtonpost.com

DCist: Multiple Shooting at Anacostia Metro Station

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by DC's Finest

With the money we have spent in the debacle called Iraq, we could have built a heavy rail system in every major city in America.

Yeah..and then we could watch daily on the TV news about the terrorist bombs going off on them... Why would you have to inject your politics into this unrelated discussion?

To those that keep mentioning NYC and Boston, I have lived in both cities for more than half my life and know them well. Both are very old systems where the neighborhoods and businesses grew up around the transit, not the other way around. Much of both systems were private ventures that were privately run at the time and were consolidated and taken over by the city or state later on.

NYC has a subway system that runs all over the city. The commuter rail runs from Long Island, northern counties, CT, and NJ. Most of these areas are bedroom communities and since the amount of business and people working in Manhattan is massive, the overwhelming need is to commute to Manhattan. Hence the need for a system that predominantly takes people from the suburbs into Manahattan. The key thing to mention is that even if you work in one of the outer boroughs or suburbs, you can still use transit to get where you need to go in NYC. You can commute via subway or bus from Brooklyn to Queens without going into Manhattan. You can't do the equivalent here in Atlanta.

In Boston, the funny thing is it's actually more like Atlanta than people realize or want to acknowledge. The MBTA transit and commuter rail is actually limited in scope and works much like MARTA since it really only works for people heading to/from downtown Boston. For people who live outside of Boston or Cambridge and commute to jobs around Route 128 or further out on Route 495 (which is a growing segment of the population due to housing costs), their only means of commuting is via car, much like in the suburbs of Atlanta. I worked in Waltham and had a commuter rail station in my town, but it would have taken me more than an hour by rail to make the commute and cost quite a bit, but the real kicker was that the schedule was awful. I had a choice of only 1 or 2 trains in the morning and 1 or 2 trains in the afternoon. That left no flexibility at all in the event of a late night or emergency.

Transit is good, but if being financed by the public, it should meet the needs of a large percentage of the population to be effective. I'd be really interested in knowing the statistics on what percentage of people in Atlanta work in and commute to downtown, versus those of use who work and commute outside of the area where MARTA would be helpful. Maybe I'm just out of touch on this point.

[Merin]

Originally Posted by chip1980

DCist: Multiple Shooting at Anacostia Metro Station

(a) Thats anacostia
(b) Isolated incidents don't make an entire railway unsafe. The Metro is a lot bigger them Marta.